Man receives over 2-year sentence for possessing illegal narcotics

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an August 2022 State Security Court (SSC) ruling sentencing a repeated offender to over two years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Amman in December 2021.

The court declared the defendant guilty of possessing illegal narcotics while at his home in Sahab on December 23.

The SSC handed the defendant a punishment of 30 months in prison and ordered him to pay JD1,500 in fines. 

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and placed him under surveillance.

“The AND agents arrested the defendant while at his home smoking Hashish,” court documents said.

The officers also found a variety of illegal narcotics including Captagon pills and Crystal meth, according to court papers.

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court “should reduce the prison term since her client supports a family and an employee”.

 Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentences against the defendant.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs for personal use,” the higher court said.

Therefore, the higher court maintained that the defendant deserved the punishment he received. 

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mahmoud Ebtoush, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi, Mohammad Khashashneh and Nayef Samarat.